Infinite Lights Lumbini 2015 : Opening Ceremony

On Feb 18, 2015 evening, the opening ceremony commenced with participation from and support from the Chinese Temple, and many other Sanghas from the various monasteries in the Lumbini Developement Trust area, and is also attended by specially invited guest, Gyalwai Nyugu Rinpoche.

The very first butter lamps were lighted using the fire from the holy flame.

There were 56 tables decorated with butter lamps along side Prince Aveue and lighting up the night brightly, the largest scale ever first time in Lumbini.

The ceremony continued at a site close by the sacred garden where it was attending by many from all over the world.

With the prayer flags flying in the air, the opening ceremony was then graced by Sanghas from differen countries blessing the event by reciting mantra in their local languages.

Ani Choying Dolma also graced the event with her performance, singing many of her well-known songs.

The Abbot of Chinese Temple, along with special guest, Gyalwai Nyugu Rinpoche then pass on the flame from the holy fire by lighting up the butter lamps of the Sanghas.

When everyone’s butter lamps were all lighted, the whole continengent moved into the sacred garden.

As the finale of the opening cermony, everyone holding the lamps, entered the sacred garden and lined up beside the sacred pond to dedicate the merits of the event to all sentient beings to bless them with good healthy and prosperity and at the same time pray for world peace.

The 10 million lamps will be lighted throughout the one month from Feb 19, 2015 in Lumbini.

Story of the 10 millions Infinite Lamps : Travelling to Lumbini

It was a big challenge to transport the lamps from Beijing to Lumbini. The distance between these two places is about 5000 km, across six completely different types of climate zones, from the sub-arctic to tropical. More specifically, in between the two countries stands the Himalayan mountains, the “Roof of the World.” To ship the lamps by sea would take longer time and would include many uncontrollable factors. The final decision was to transportthem by road. On December 9, 2014, there were 4 heavy trucks, loaded with 92 tons of lamps that had started its journey from Beijing.

It took the trucks 13 days to drive from Beijing to Lhasa. After resting for 5 days in Lhasa, the next part of the journey to Zhangmu continued. The trucks twice met heavy snow and it almost closed the mountain road. The Himalayan mountains were full of steep cliffs and snow. Waterfalls had frozen on the ground and formed a thick icy layer on the road, allowing only one-way passing by cars. The trucks moved as slow as a squirming line. From time to time, some huge snow balls rolled down from the hills as high as five to six-storey buildings and broke the road. They had to wait for the wrecking team to come and clean up the road. A forklift was used to shovel a “snow cave” for trucks to pass through one by one. The team took 7 days to drive a distance which only needs one day in normal situations. As the food and the water that the drivers took with them could only last for one day, Rail Lhasa had to deploy an off-road vehicle to send the food and water to the drivers as an emergency.

Even though it was extremely cold and there was a lack of food and water, none of the drivers had complained about anything. To the contrary, they did their best to help as they knew that they were doing a very special duty; they were transporting the lamps to Lumbini, where the Buddha was born, where they would be lit for the peace of the world.

The transporting trucks got to deal with many challenges during the journey which made the transportation even more challenging. But thanks to all the support that was gotten the way, while it was not smooth sailing, problems encountered were all resolved successfully.

And on 15th Janurary, 2015, the lamps arrrived in Lumbini and are all storaged in the Chinese Temple.

“According to the Holographic Universe Theory of Ecology, all life-forms, including the Earth and the Universe, are closely and infinitely interconnected. From this perspective, it is not difficult to understand the vital importance that compassion of an individual can have on his own happiness and those of others.

By observing and being aware of our inner world, we start to realize that true happiness begins with caring and cherishing others. The best way to love oneself is to love and cherish others. We begin to understand that if we want ourselves and others to be happy, we need to have compassion.”—By Gyalwai Nyugu Rinpoche

Dzogchen or “Great Perfection” is a tradition of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism, aimed at attaining and maintaining the primordial state or natural state of mind. Dzogchen’s direct approach goes beyond cultural and religious boundaries.

Here we are inviting you to attend one week retreat in Creta, Greece. This retreat is organized by International Gyalwai Nyugu Association. The aim of the retreat is to “open the door to the mind” through Dzogchen meditation. This retreat will provide you a rare opportunity to meeting and learning with a truly great Tibetan Buddhist and meditation teacher, Gyalwai Nyugu Rinpoche, and discover the practice of guru yoga. Rinpoche has vast experience in guiding students who are interested in looking into their own mind and who want to understand their own inner world.

In this special retreat, Rinpoche will teach on the following:
￼￼- Opening the door to the mind (Introducing the Nature Of Mind by Garab Dorje – Hitting the essence in three words http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Garab_Dorje)
– Methods of dealing with negative emotions and habitual patterns
– Methods of developing wisdom through everyday practice
– The similarities and differences among different meditation methods o Preliminary meditation and advanced meditation
– Empowerment and practice of Guru Yoga- One to one private guide with Rinpoche

Date & Time: April 3 to April 8, 2015.
Starts from morning 8.00am until 6.00 pm. We suggest that you arrive on April 2nd. You may leave earlier if necessary.

Languages: Chinese and English (French, Germany, or Swedish, are also available)

Fees: No Fee for the retreat itself. (But certain common costs need to be covered, so we suggest a
donation of 120 Euro to IGNA)

How to get there: Close to airport Heraklion. There are taxi and bus available.

Meals & Accommodation: We have appointed one travel agent in Germany to organize the accommodations for us, which cost about 41 Euro, per person, per day include three meals! Two persons share one hotel room. This is special price we got and everybody who participates the retreat will live very close to each other in a walking distance.

Registration: Please fill out the following the registration form and submit.

The Board of IGNA organizes a meditation retreat in Lumbini on 5 to 12 March 2015. We are happy to announce the start of the enrolment to the Light retreat with the venerable Dzogchen master, Gyalwai Nyugu Rinpoche.

About the retreat

During the first month of the Tibetan new year in 2015 (Feb 19-Mar 20), Gyalwai Nyugu Rinpoche will lead both Sangha and lay people from around the world to perform light offerings in the 10 Million Light Offering Event at the birthplace of the Lord Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama – in Lumbini, Nepal. The event will also be graced by many Sangha from the temples and monasteries in and around the Lumbini Development Zone. – See more at: http://igna.org/projects/light-offerings/#sthash.X1DTfiyS.dpuf

During this month Gyalwai Nyugu Rinpoche has kindly agreed to teach during a specially arranged meditation retreat for about 50 people in Lumbini. If you wish to take part in this auspicious event, please register, by filling out and sending a registration form.

Please note, that the number of participants is limited to 50 people and the first to register will receive the confirmation first.

When the maximum number of participants has been registered, the names of persons applying after that will be added to a reserve list. In case of cancellations you might be contacted to see, if you are still interested to participate. The last date for registering is 30 January 2015.

You will receive the confirmation upon registration. After 30 January 2015 we will send out more detailed practical information for all the registered and confirmed retreat participants.

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5 March – 12 March 2015

Meditation retreat schedule

3 March 2015 – Arrival in Lumbini

5 March to 12 March 2015

Daily schedule for the eight days IGNA Light retreat in Lumbini

6:30~. 9:00 Light offerring

9:30~12:00 Practice of the Four Ordinary Preliminary

12:00~.13:30 Lunch and rest

13:30~16:00 Practice of the Five Inner Preliminaries

17:00~17:30 Devotion of Light offering

18:00~19:30 Dinner and rest

19:30~21:30 Guru Yoga, meditation and Dharma

teaching by Gyalwai Nyugu Rinpoche

The place where retreat will be held:

Accommodation will be at the Sri Lankan Pilgrims Rest House in Lumbini, Nepal. It is the property of the Sri Lankan Government. The rest house is about half an hour walk (3km) from the Sacred Garden. It is a large modern place that was only recently opened in November 2014.

The rooms generally are for 4 to 5 people with a bathroom with hot water on suite.

The building has a restaurant that will serve vegetarian meals. The restaurant will be opened in January 2015.

Prices: Budget around US$50 per day.

Please note : These prices are not finalised. As the establishment has only recently been opened and the prices per person still need to be finalised. The establishment has said the prices will only be known in January 2015. Once the prices and the menu is finalised we will inform you accordingly.

A bus will be hired for transport from Kathmandu to Lumbini. The bus will leave Kathmandu early on the 3 March and return early on the morning of the 13 March 2015. The place of departure will be decided later and participants will be informed accordingly. The trip may take around 10 hours.

The buses seat 35 people. The cost of hiring a 35 seater bus is around US$500 (one way). The price will be shared equally amongst the number of passengers. If passengers are less than 11 a tourist microbus can be arranged for around US$ 300 (one way). Likewise the price will be shared equally amongst the number of passengers.

Before registering, please read through the important information below.

Rules of Discipline

The Light meditation retreat will be held in conditions deemed to be similar as that of being in a temple. Therefore you will need to observe certain rules of discipline so that we can maintain environment conducive to inner reflection and meditation, also respecting the Sri Lankan Pilgrims Rest House as our kind host.

Respect all life: do not intentionally kill any living being, even small insects.

Respect others’ property: do not steal or take anything not freely given.

Be honest and straightforward: do not lie or intentionally deceive others.

Be celibate: no sexual activity.

Be alert and mindful: avoid intoxicants such as alcohol, drugs and cigarettes.

Be considerate of others’ silence: keep silence in the appropriate areas and at all times during residential courses, especially in the Gompa and the dormitories.

Be considerate of the monks and nuns: dress respectfully (please no shorts above the knee, tank-top shirts or tight and revealing clothing).

Please be gentle in your behaviour and sensitive to other retreat participants.

Etiquette in the Meditation Hall

The Tibetan word for the Meditation Hall is “Gompa”. Because a Gompa is the location of study, meditation and devotional practices, Buddhists consider them to be holy places. In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the following modes of behaviour are considered respectful in a Gompa and we ask you to follow them while here:

Do not point your feet towards the teachers, the altar or any holy object.

Do not put Dharma materials – prayer books, texts, Dharma books or notebooks with Dharma in them – on the floor, or sit or step over them.

The Sutra of Arya Maitreya says, “Those who offer a thousand lights or a thousand blue utpali flowers or make the pinnacle of a stupa or a holy form will be reborn when Maitreya Buddha shows the deed of gaining enlightenment and will receive his first Dharma teaching.”

Offering light, in particular, is a special door of dependent arising for quickly completing the accumulation of merit and receiving great blessings. It is said in the second chapter of the Root Tantra of Chakrasamvara, who is a manifestation of Shakyamuni Buddha, “If you want sublime realizations, offer hundreds of lights.”

It is said in The Ten Wheel Sutra of the Essence of Earth (Kshitigarbha), “All comfort, happiness and peace in this world come from making offerings to the Rare Sublime Ones (the Triple Gem). Therefore, those who want comfort, happiness and peace should always try to make offerings to the Rare Sublime Ones.”

In general, all goodness in samsara and nirvana comes from making offerings to the Triple Gem, but specifically, different kinds of offerings bring you different benefits. Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, the fourth of the thousand buddhas of this fortunate eon, whose holy mind was enriched with the ten powers, announced in the Tune of Brahma Sutra Clarifying Karma that making light offerings brings you ten benefits:

You become like a light in the world.

You achieve (when born human) the clairvoyance of the pure flesh eye.

You achieve the devas’ eye.

You receive the wisdom of knowing what is virtue and what is nonvirtue.

You are able to eliminate the darkness of ignorance, the concept of inherent existence.

You receive the illumination of wisdom; even in samsara you never experience darkness.

You receive much wealth and enjoyment.

You are reborn in the deva or human realm.

You quickly become liberated.

You quickly attain enlightenment.

Devas or human beings who accumulate the merit of making one light offering – or even a handful of flowers – will see the fully enlightened buddha, Maitreya.

During the first month of the Tibetan new year in 2015 (Feb 19-Mar 20), Gyalwai Nyugu Rinpoche will lead both sanghas and lay people from around the world to perform light offerings in the 10 Million Light Offering Event at the birthplace of the Lord Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama – in Lumbini, Nepal. The event will also be graced by many sanghas from the temples and monasteries in and around the Lumbini Development Zone.

This event is organised by the Chinese Temple (Lumbini, Nepal) and supported by IGNA (updated on Feb 2015).

IGNA sincerely invites your participation in lighting up these wisdom l amps in Lumbini – one of the four holy places of Buddhism.

To facilitate your participation, IGNA is organizing donation collection for the light offering event. Your kind contributions will be used to purchase the butter lamps for the event, perform monk offering as well as to support the event. There will be over 100 volunteers to light up all the 10 million lamps throughout the entire month.

Please send your contributions to the following IGNA bank account: –

Account Name : International Gyalwai Nyugu Association

BIC : HANDSESS

IBAN SE336000 0000 0000 5061 3189 (Euro account, number 5061 3189)

IBAN: SE57 6000 0000 0008 0121 6508 (SEK account, number 8 0121 6508)

Bank Name：Handelsbanken

Bank Address: 6241 GÖTEBORG LINDHOLMEN, SWEDEN

Purpose：Light Offerings

In order for us to register your generous contribution and for bookkeeping purposes, please send us an email to notify us of your donation at light.offering@igna.org. In the email, please kindly provide:

Name of donor:

Date of bank transfer:

Donation amount:

Email to receive the acknowledgement of the donation:

Besides light offering, IGNA is also planning some other relevant activities in this auspicious month in Nepal. Please look out for our updated news.

For those of you who wish to make a pilgrimage trip to this very sacred place to personally participate in the light offering event may consider the following travelling dates:

Feb 18 – Feb 26 (Feb 19 marks the 1st day of the event where the opening ceremony will be held)

Feb 26 – Mar 5

Mar 5 – Mar 12

Mar 12 – Mar 20 (Mar 20 marks the last day of the event where the closing ceremony will be held)

IGNA will provide some Lumbini travel tips to assist travellers; do look out for our updates.